USAID awards scholarships, research grants to Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines -  The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded 10 generous post-graduate scholarships to promising young Filipino scientists and researchers to pursue further studies in prestigious US universities of their choice.

USAID also awarded research study grants to five separate groups of researchers from five  Philippine universities namely the University of the Philippines-Diliman; Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Central Luzon State University (CLSU); Central Bicol State University; and De La Salle University (DLSU). 

The scholarships and research grants were awarded under the USAID’s new Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) program, with the awardees at yesterday’s awarding ceremonies held at the Isabela Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City, being the first batch of beneficiaries of the program.

Awardees of the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Scholarships were Maria Fatima Carla Bertulfo, a Master of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology student of UP Los Banos who can now pursue Master’s studies in Biotechnology at the Pennsylvania State University; Micaela Cristina Perlada, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University who is to pursue post-graduate studies in Biotechnology and Genomics at the Rutgers State University of New Jersey; Arlan James Rodeo who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Horticulture at the UPLB who will now pursue his Master’s studies in International Agriculture at the Rutgers State University of New Jersey; Janella Mae Salamania who was pursuing Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering studies at UP Diliman who will now go on to Cornell University for her Master’s degree studies in the said field; Melanie Salinas who was pursuing Masters studies in Pharmacology at the UP College of Medicine who will now go to the University of Delaware to pursue Master’s studies in Bioinformatics; and Peter Immanuel Tenido who was pursuing Master of Science in Chemistry studies at the DLSU but who will now go to Rutgers State University of New Jersey to pursue his post-graduate studies in Chemistry.

There were also four awardees of STRIDE’s PhD Dissertation Research “Sandwich” Program namely Jasmine Angelie Albelda, a PhD candidate in Physics at the DLSU, who will pursue research studies at the Purdue University in Physics; Richard Licayan, a PhD candidate in Science Education in Chemistry at the Mindanao University of Science and Technology who will do research dissertation studies in Chemistry at the Rutgers State University of New Jersey; Mercy Quilantang, a PhD candidate in Fisheries at the UP Visayas who can do doctorate research studies at the Michigan State University on Fisheries; and Cristina Tiangco, a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of Santo Tomas who can do doctorate research studies at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in Chemistry.

It was learned that the PSM scholarship was equivalent of $50,000-$60,000 for each year; while the PhD Dissertation Research Scholarship was equivalent to $35,000-$45,000 per year of study.

Dr. David Hall, USAID STRIDE chief of party, said that through the program, the USAID hoped to help the Philippines produce researchers and scientists who can pursue science research that will result to national development and inclusive growth.